It all started with public deception and financial fraud and ended with two people incarcerated and a history of abuse by the one murdered revealed. This case would be known as one of the most significant cases of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy. This is the case of Gypsy Rose.
The case of Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s abuse can be traced back to the past of her grandmother, Emma. Her habits of robbing and shoplifting affected her relationship with Dee Dee, Gypsy’s mother. These attributes would translate to Dee Dee, who would open credit cards in other people’s names, commit fraud, manipulate, compulsively lie, starve her mother, poison her stepmom, leaving her bedridden for nine months, and later be known for infamously abusing Gypsy Rose.
Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy (MSBP) is a mental disorder in which the caretaker of a child either makes up fake symptoms or causes real symptoms to make it appear as though the child is injured or ill. People who have MSBP have an overwhelming need for attention and go to great lengths to achieve it, even if it means risking a child’s life, such as Gypsy Rose Blanchard. Gypsy was born on July 27th, 1991. Her mom first started showing signs of MSBP three months after Gypsy’s birth for sleep apnea, despite Gypsy testing negative for it. Her mother later began to invent illnesses Gypsy had, leading her to say she had leukemia, muscular dystrophy, asthma, epilepsy, cancer, vision and hearing impairment, seizures, and an unspecified chromosomal disorder. Gypsy was also forced to use a wheelchair, feeding tube, and breathing machine and received numerous unnecessary surgeries, such as the removal of salivary glands, despite her being perfectly healthy. From 2005 to 2014, Gypsy Rose Blanchard went to the hospital over one hundred times. During these visits, her mom would not allow her to speak and manipulated the doctors into giving her a multitude of prescriptions. She manipulated the doctors by claiming she lost all her paperwork in Hurricane Katrina. With these prescriptions, Dee Dee would drug her daughter to the point she could not properly speak or stay awake. This allowed Dee Dee to play off the fictional idea that Gypsy had the mental capacity of a seven-year-old, leading her to accomplish numerous vile acts and deceits and lying to Gypsy about her age, making her think she was four years younger than actuality. These acts led Gypsy to be homeschooled and unable to make friends because of her mother’s helicoptering. She had no way out. Her mother had convinced CPS, the police, and doctors of a false mirage. Like her favorite movie, Tangled, Gypsy too, was stuck in prison. These factors and Gypsy’s urge for human connection would soon lead her to perform the unspeakable.
On June 9th, 2015, Gypsy and her then-boyfriend Nicholas Godejohn, a guy she had only known online until that day, led to the death of her mother. Dee Dee was stabbed 17 times. Due to Nicholas performing the act and other variables, he was sentenced to life in prison. Gypsy Rose Blanchard, on the other hand, was sentenced to ten years. She was released early this year in January on parole. Her release left people with countless thoughts. Seeing her case unfold in real-time, Senior Chelsea Daniel notes that a “stark difference between the generations and their reactions to her sentencing and story” is shown. This difference is evident when many people, such as Junior Abby Fagerman, felt that Dee Dee “ruined her [daughter’s] childhood.” As mentioned by Senior Laila Fuller, she was “pushed to her limit.” Gypsy committed a crime; she played a role in the death of her mother, and everyone agrees upon that. However, is her role in the death of her mother justified because of the immense abuse she went through before she could even crawl?
Laila Fuller feels so, acknowledging “she was held captive, physically, mentally abused and tortured her whole life.” Gypsy had all the love towards her mother turn into resentment for the lack of companionship she had. That resentment manifested itself in extreme ways. It was a “kill or be killed scenario,” adds Senior Nayliz Neiomi Rodriguez. While “there was a better approach to Gypsy’s situation than murder…she probably felt like it was the only option to be free from her mother,” notes Junior Kayla Ambroise. It’s reasonable to believe why Gypsy felt like it was impossible to escape after all; she was “born and raised in the delusion that she was physically and mentally ill and no one helped her,” says Nayliz Neiomi Rodriguez. Laila Fuller can add to this by noting how “numerous CPS workers and doctors did nothing” despite apparent proof that “she was in a dire situation.” Despite these facts, Gypsy herself doesn’t agree with the action she took against her mom. She feels guilty for what she did but also accepts that, in her circumstances, it felt like the only choice. Murder should never be an option, and as Senior Emelee Newball states, “She was a victim, plain and simple. However, she is guilty of conspiracy to murder.” Like all crimes, a penalty is necessary to ensure and enforce it as a crime.
Gypsy Rose Blanchard was sentenced to ten years and served only eight. In prison, she was able to go to school, receive her GED, and share her experience as someone affected by MSBP. Gypsy’s time in jail allowed her to “receive the help she needed and longed for,” explained Nayliz Neiomi. While it’s incredible Gypsy received the help she needed, many felt as though a prison didn’t suit her circumstances and she should have gone to “a mental hospital instead of going to prison,” as stated by Kayla. This is due to the overwhelming amount of trauma she experienced from a very young age and the lack of resources to help her. Others could beg to differ, stating how the prison was the correct placement for her because she had committed a crime and “clearly knew what was going to happen…and had clear intentions of her mother of being murdered,” adds Emelee. The consensus is that Gypsy deserved her sentence because she helped conspire and execute a crime. She received the resources she needed while in prison, allowing her to grow and use her voice to raise awareness.
Upon Gypsy’s arrest, she received widespread fame for her “downright bizarre and unique” case, mentioned by Nayliz Neiomi. Her release led to Gypsy receiving media criticism and internet exploitation. People began to use her name for “views and money…treating her as if she were an ancient artifact,” adds Nayliz Neiomi. Her name has been tossed around so loosely people have lost the purpose of the cause she is bringing awareness to. Gypsy uses her name to “bring awareness to her story and help people going through similar situations,” noted Emelee. This can be agreed upon because Nayliz Neiomi mentions that Gypsy can “reiterate her story without feeling trapped.” She is “taking her life for herself…and has shown sympathy towards her mother” despite everything. Gypsy’s rise to fame isn’t because she is a celebrity but instead is an activist and someone who is taking their life back and showing you can repair broken bridges. She’s not meant to be someone to idolize or praise for matricide but rather someone who should be seen as a human with emotions who’s attempting to bring awareness to the 1,000 out of 2.5 million child abuse cases that involve Munchausen by Proxy.
